Feed-grinder.



F. A. RYTHER. I

FEED GRINDER. APPLICATION FILED ocT. 11. 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented D60. 18, 1917. i

F. A. RYTHER.

FEED GRINDER.-

APPLICATION FILED OCT-11.1913.

Patented D60. 18,1917,

3 S HEETSSHEET 3.

Invefl/z'or J UNITED STA'lES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK A. YTHER, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNGR TO INTEItNATIoNAL HARVESTER COMPANY-0F NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION on NEW JERSEY,

FEED-GRINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 191 7.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK A. RYTHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed-Grinders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to feed grinders.

Difliculty has. heretofore been experienced in grinding vKafir corn due to the character of the'heads, the kernels being carried on along head which is comparatively light and difficult both to catch in the ordinary feeder mechanism of a grinder and to feed after-the same has been brought thereto. The result of this has beenthat there has been a tendency for the heads to lodge in the top of the hopper while the feeder mechanism rotated ineifectually below them, the effectiveness of the machine being thus destroyed.

=Myinvention has for its object to provide an improved grinder especially adapted to use in: connection with Kafir corn whereby the heads are drawn out of the hopper and then beaten and-broken in such a manner as to eliminate all choking and maintain a constant supply to the grinding mechanism. I attain this object'by the provision of improved feedingand breaking mechanism for the grinder, this breaking mechanism cooperating with the feeding and grinding tilt mechanism of the grinder in an improved manner and being itself specifically improved as hereinafter set forth.

In order that my invention may be clearly and fully disclosed, I have shown in the accompanying drawings two embodiments which the same may assume in practice. It is to be understood, however, that the forms shown herein for purposes of illustration may be modified.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the grinder witha portion of the casing in section.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the breaking mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the construction shown. in Fig. 1 with the casing and gearing mechanism broken away.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a'modified form of the construction.

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the driving mechanism for the construction shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a detail view partially in section showing the means for attaching one of the breaking teeth.

Fig. 7 is an'end elevation of one of the teeth attached to the breaker shaft. 7

In the construction shown I have illustrated a grinder 1 ofstand'ardconstructioncomprising a corrugated bottom plateQ, a--- spirally arranged feeding roll or rib .3 carried on a longitudinally extending shaft 4 journaled in bearings 5 in the ends of the frame above the plate 2, and grinding mechanism 6 of the well known vertical grinding plate type disposed at one end of the frame. 1 and outside the same and driven from any suitable source of power through a power pulley 7 carried on the end of the shaft 4.

Carried upon the top ofthe grinder frame 1 is a supplemental boxlike frame 8 bolted tothe bottom frame by means of a plurality of vertically extending bolts 9 which pass throughlugs 10 and 11 in the frames 1 and 8 respec tively and at the same time serve to attach the latter to the grinder base 12. Journaled in this frame 8 is a longitudinally extending shaft 13 disposed in a plane above the shaft 4 and provided with a portion 14 of enlarged diameter on which are mounted a plurality of series of radially extending vanes or teeth 15 disposed in spiral form around the portion 14 in such a manner asto form a'continuous spiral efle ct. As shown in Figs. 1,

6 and 7 these teeth are substantially oblong beyond the-periphery of the p0rtion 1-l,.being slightly countersunk at the inner ends in transverse slots in. the body of the shaft and provided with shanks of smaller cross section in the form of bolts 16 which extend through diametrically disposed openings in the portion 14 and are secured thereto by nuts 17 seated in countersunk portions 18 on the opposite surface of the shaft and between the teeth of the next series. As shown in Fig. 1, this breaker shaft 13 isdriven in a counterclockwise direction through a large gear 19 carried on one endthereof outside the frame 8, which meshes with a smaller gear 20carried on the shaft4 at a point intermediate the spiral feeding rib 3 and the power pulley 7 Cooperating with the teeth 15 is a grate or grid 21 which is provided with a pluralityof teeth spaced apart from each other by a suifioient interval to permit the teeth noted that the end walls of the slots on this grid 21 are downwardly and inwardly slanted at 22 in such a manner as to conform to the path of the teeth 15 and that the side walls thereof are enlar ed at a point adja cent the ends of the teeth in such a manner as to give a good clearance, while the opposite ends of the slots therein are narrower and extend into close proximity to the periphery of the tooth carrying member 1'2 and the surface of the teeth 15. In the form shown herein this grid is of integral construction, being formed of a single piece of metal of substantially triangular cross section, the depth of the teeth being greater toward the inner end of the same where the work is done (Fig. 3) and the stock from which they protrude being provided with a downwardly extending portion or flange 23 which is bolted at 2 1 to the inside of the frame member 8. As in the usual construction a hopper 25 is carried upon the top of the frame 8 and removably attached thereto by means of clips 26 held in position by.

the bolts 9.

In Figs. l and 5 I have shown a modified form of the construction shown in Fig. 1 especially adapted to use in smaller mills wherein the grinding mechanism per so is the same as that heretofore described, but a plurality of breaking rolls 27 is. employed instead of the one roller shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 4, these breaking rolls are smaller than that heretofore described and of the same general construction. They are, however, rotated in opposite directions, cooperating in this instance with a plurality of grids 28 carried on the grinder frame per se and positioned in this construction at points below their location in the form of my invention first described. As in the previous construction, these breaking rolls are operatively connected to the driving mechanism for the grinder proper, (diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 5) a suit able large gear 29 meshing with a smaller gear 30 on the main driving shaft 31 todrive the shaft of the left hand roll 27, which in turn carries a smaller gear 82, meshing with a gear 33 011 the shaft of the right hand roll.

In the operation of the construction shown (Fig. 1) the material in the hopper is caught by the teeth of the breaker as the latter rotates in a counterclockwise direction and pulled downward beneath the breaker roll tion through the grids carries as much of the heads as has not already been acted upon by the feed roll 3, upward against the grid 21 in such a manner as to break the stalks into short lengths and permit the same to drop back upon the spiral feeder, which then carries the same toward the grinding mechanism. Attention is further directed to the fact that due to the spiral arrangement of the teeth on the breaker, the heads are not only taken from the hopper evenly and continuously in such av manner that a continuous feed to the feeding. cham' her is maintained, but that the stalks are broken in the same continuous manner, thus.

insuring an even supply of material to the feeder and the grinding mechanism. It is also to be noted that due to the provision of the cooperating grid and teeth means are provided which effectually prevent. the material from adhering to the beater andagain being carried around with the latter .in' such;

a manner as to choke-the machineand interfere with its operationand maximumetlh ciency. Obviously, the same results will be.

obtained in the construction shown in, Figs. 4!- and 5, the two rolls in this instance moving toward each other and tending to carry the grain downward in the same/manner,

and the grids likewise preventing the escape,

of the grain from the chamber and assist-1.

lirg in the breaking operation.

1V hile l have in this applicationdescribed two embodiments which my invention may assume in practice, it is tobe understood, however, that the forms shown herein for purposes of illustration may be modified without departing from the spirit of my invention,

\Vhat I claim as my invention and desire.

to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a feed grinder, a feed hopper, feeding mechanism located beneaththe same, a

2. In a feed grinder, a frame having a' feed chamber therein, feeding mechanism carried in said chamber, a breaking roll journaled in said chamber above said. feeding mechanism, a cooperating breaking grid fixed to the side wall of said chamber above said feeding mechanism and at one side of the same, a feed hopper carried on said frame above said roll and grid and means for rotating said roll whereby material de-' livered upon the top of the same is drawn down from said hopper to saidv feeding mechanism and any material remaining on the roll is broken against the underside of said grid.

3. In a feed grinder, a frame, a hopper carried thereon, a spiral feeding rib journaled in said frame receiving material from said hopper, a breaking roll having a plurality of spirally arranged spaced teeth projecting from its periphery and rotatably mounted between said feeding rib and hopper having its teeth projecting into the bottom of said hopper, a breaking grid carried on said frame at one side of said roll and above said feeding rib having its teeth projecting into the interval between the teeth on said roll, and means for breaking material fed into the hopper against the under side of said grid.

4. In a feed grinder, a casing, a hopper carried thereon, a breaking roll journaled in said casing having a plurality of spirally arranged teeth projecting from its periph- Oopiefl of this patent may be obtained for cry, a breakin grid carried on said casing at one side 0' said roll having its teethprojecting into the intervals between the teeth on said roll, means for rotating said breaking roll whereby the latter draws down i r v the material from said hopper into the bottom of said casing and on its up stroke in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK A. RYTHER. Witnesses:

ROLAND HILL, J. B. EVANS.

five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

